


(un)stuck in the middle with you

by Skyepilot



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Complicated Relationships, Drinking, Flirting, Friendship/Love, Gen, Humor, I Love Lucy references, Implied Relationships, Inhumans (Marvel), Jealousy, Joey wants to know what happened to Dr. Garner, Lack of Communication, Mack and Joey are both mechanics, Mack is tired of being stuck in the middle, Male-Female Friendship, Relationship Problems, Trust Issues, non-date date, plot speculation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-25
Updated: 2015-11-25
Packaged: 2018-05-03 09:04:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5284859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyepilot/pseuds/Skyepilot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mack is tired of being stuck in the middle of everyone else's relationship problems.</p>
            </blockquote>





	(un)stuck in the middle with you

“These people, some of them fought against SHIELD.”  
  
“Yeah, I was there,” he says, pausing the video game. “Don't care to revisit any of that.”

She’s stopped hovering now and comes to plant herself beside him on the couch.  
  
“Lincoln said he felt deceived by Jiaying, that being Inhuman was a curse. But we don't know if that's how they all feel. Some of them think Inhumans are....better.”  
  
She meets his eyes and sees his brow knit together.  
  
“That Codex, it's got all their names,” Mack replies.  
  
“Which they'd probably like back?’

“You saying they know we have it?  Because of Lincoln?” he puts the controller down now, sits back deep into the sofa.  
  
“It's something I've considered,” she says, leaning forward, wresting her forearms against the tops of her knees.

When she finally turns to look back at him, she’s biting her lip.  
  
“You wanted his help.”  
  
“And he didn't want ours,” she says. “But then shows up right when-  
  
“He knew we had the Codex,” Mack nods.  
  
“Yeah. And my guess is he knows how to find the others,” she mutters.

“That’s why you didn't want me to tell Coulson,” he tells her, frowning.  “What you said to him.”  
  
She bites her lip again.  
  
“Mack, he's got enough to deal with,” she tries to explain, suddenly animated, determined. “I can handle this. He's not responsible for Inhumans. That's on me.”  
  
“You know when he finds out, and he will find out-“ Mack says, shaking his head.  
  
“Lincoln had a crush on me.”  
  
“Had or has?”  
  
“Has. Probably.”  
  
“You're both ridiculous,” he starts in, sitting up. “Him with Price, you with this.”  
  
“I know,” she agrees. “I'm really worried about him.”

 “You? Worried about him?” he chuckles in disbelief. 

“He lost his hand, Mack. He almost died.  _Again._   All because of my parents. What _I_ am.”

He rubs his hand down his face.

“You think he's going to like it when he finds out? Bringing someone on the inside who might be working against our interests?”

“It's not like he cares what I think about Price,” she says, bolting to her feet.

“That's not true,” he says, following her movements with his eyes. “He always cares about what you think.”

“Just the idea of her getting her claws in him.”

“Yeah,” he agrees.  He’s got no love for the idea, either.

She suddenly stops pacing, and her eyes get wide.

“What do you think he thinks about when they-“

“Whoah, whoah,” he answers putting his hands up, shutting his eyes against the thought. “I don't want to think about that, and neither should you.”

“What’s he going to change her mind about? Get her to acknowledge we have rights so she can crush them legally? Big step up.”

“You weren’t joking about your anger issues.”

“And our joint Inhuman/SHIELD operation didn't even get off the ground, thanks to the ATCU,” she adds, her eyes moving rapidly in thought.

She crosses her arms.  “I can get access to Inhumans. That want to help. Who have already been transitioned.”

“Sounds like you've got it all figured out,” Mack says, picking back up his controller.  
  
“I'm taking things slow,” she tosses over her shoulder, as she heads for the hallway.  
  
“I've seen your version of slow,” he calls after her.

  
  
***

  
  
“Something bothering you?”  
  
“Campbell,” he says, narrowing his eyes. “Why did he come back now?”  
  
Mack nods. “I think Daisy shares those concerns.”  
  
“Didn't he specifically refuse to work with us?”  
  
“Yeah. More than once,” Mack agrees.  
  
“He seems rather easily distracted,” he says, tilting his head to watch him and Daisy through the lab window.  
  
“Gee, wonder why that might be?” Mack says with an eyeroll.  
  
“That part is obvious,” Coulson says, giving him a droll stare. “But _that_ is not what I meant.”  
  
“Oh you mean what you're hinting around about but not actually telling me,” Mack nods.

Coulson raises his eyebrows for a moment, then answers once he’s absorbed the sarcasm.

“When we rescued him from HYDRA he'd only deal with her. He was very careful, watching her interactions with anyone else, speaking as little as possible.  Now look at him.”

Lincoln is busy chatting away to Simmons and Bobbi, explaining the book that’s in the container in front of them.

“Maybe he’s starting to trust us.”

“Maybe he wants us to think that.”

“You mean, maybe he wants _you_ to think that.”

“What?” he says quickly, his head recoiling. “No, that's not-“  
  
“If you say so,” Mack shrugs. “I'm sure 'new guy' here isn't worried about that at all.”

Then, Coulson's lost for a moment, as his focus drifts back to Daisy.

“If he makes things easier for her,” he says quietly. “How can I complain? I'm sure she wants to be with...people like her.”

“What's wrong with people like us?” Mack huffs.

“Let me know if the tests on the Codex turn anything up,” he replies to Mack, pressing his lips together for a moment, and turning to walk back in the direction of his office.

“He _did_ get to know her mother,” Mack puts out there.  
  
Coulson stops in his steps, then turns and gives him a stinky look. The self-pity is gone.  
  
“Got an advantage there, is all,” Mack says, trying to fight the corner of his mouth wanting to turn up.  
  
“Let me know,” Coulson repeats, testily.

“Someone should let you know alright,” Mack says under his breath.

 

***

 

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say that look was…frustration?”

He looks up from his beer and sees Bobbi smiling over at him.

“Thought I got free, but nope, happened again.”

“What are you talking about?  Is this about SHIELD?”

“No. SHIELD’s great.  Sort of.  It’s working with those two, it’s like I’m stuck in the middle of all of their nonsense.”

“That’s a great song, by the way.”

“I’m serious. This is a thing that happens to me.”

“Are you perhaps talking about two of your close friends who have a habit of not saying what they always need to say until it’s the right time to say it?”

“You want a beer?” he asks, staring at her, as she laughs and sits down in one of the chairs at the dining table.

“Nice to hear you laugh again,” he says, opening the fridge and twisting off the top.

“Thanks,” she says, taking it from him and taking a long sip.

He sits back down again next to her.

“Maybe if I lock them in a closet together? Pretend it’s an accident. One of those secret passages around here?”

“Yeah, I know about a few of those.  Do you think that would really fix things? You like fixing things.”

“What’s happening now smells like impending disaster. Make you and Hunter look like the Mertzes,” he says, shaking his head.

“But you always said we were the Ricardos,” she teases, taking another sip. 

“You’ve been downgraded,” he said, pointing a finger down at the table.  “They’re the Ricardos, you’re the Mertzes.”

“Guess I should spend more time with Daisy, then, see what kind of trouble we can get into.”

“I’m looking for less of that, not more. Thanks.”

“Mack, you always predict terrible things will happen.”

“And then?”

She sighs.  “Only _slightly_ terrible things happen,” she says, standing up and putting her hand on his shoulder.

“Stuff that you can get past. Pick ourselves up and try again.  Just look at me and Hunter.”

“Yup.  Looking right at that,” he says, eyeing how much is left in his bottle.

“Anyway,” she says, pouring the rest of the bottle out. “They’re not like us.  They’re freakishly similar.”

Mack chuckles. “Didn’t you think for awhile, that their alien thing,” he laughs again. “That they could communicate without talking?”

“You’re drunk.  Go home.”

“I am home.”

“I think that was you,” she says as she walks past him.

“It sounds more like you.”

 

***

 

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” Mack nods, looking down at the clipboard in his hand.

“Is anyone ever going to tell me what exactly happened to Dr. Garner?”

Mack sighs and glances up at Joey, sitting on the edge of the couch, patiently looking up at him.

“Sometimes stuff around here is need-to-know,” he says, smiling a little, trying to not seem distant.

Joey nods thoughtfully.

“It’s just, he was kind of my sounding board, and now he’s not here,” he replies, crossing his arms. “I don’t like feeling stuck. I understand your reasons, but, been-there-done-that.”

“I get that,” Mack says, putting away the clipboard on the desk behind him.  Joey’s told them about how he liked his life.  His job.

He thinks about it. Probably shouldn’t.

“Dr. Garner is like you now.”

“Really?” Joey asks, standing up excitedly. “What…what can he do? Is he-”

“He’s not like you like that.  He had a lot of trouble with his transition.”

“Oh, God, is he okay?” Joey asks, putting his hands on his hips.

“He will be,” Mack nods, swallows.

Joey stares off for a moment, and Mack can see the wheels turning.  That it’s sinking in.

“Hey, you’re not alone here,” Mack says. “You’re improving every day, and I think you’ll be cleared to start field training soon.”

“With Agent Johnson, right?”

“Daisy, yeah,” Mack smiles.  “I’ll probably work with you on weapons training.”

“Okay,” Joey says.

“One other thing,” Mack says. “You like bikes, right?”

Joey looks down at the coffee table with the motorcycle magazines on them.

“What gave it away?” he grins.

“Thought you might like to get back to doing something familiar.  I talked to the Director about getting you something you can fix up.”

“Are you serious?” he asks, his whole face lighting up. 

Mack nods.

“Thanks, I don’t know what to say,” he says, rubbing his palms together. “Wait, I do.  It’s the nicest thing anyone’s done for me in awhile.  Except for saving me,” he laughs nervously, clapping his hands together.

“That counts, too.”

“Sure,” Mack says, holding his gaze for a moment, then turning to reclaim his clipboard.  “You can work in the garage, I’ve got everything you’ll need.”

“You’re a mechanic?” Joey asks, looking for some place to put his hands, not finding any pockets on his sweatpants.

“When I’m not doing this,” Mack says, shrugging. “Yeah.”

“Guess just because we’re different doesn’t mean we’re that different.”

Mack isn’t sure what to say to that, just stares back at him as the silence hangs between them.

“You like espresso?” he finally asks.

“Yeah, ‘course,” Joey answers with a friendly shrug.

“Got a machine in the garage. Maybe we can get started in the morning?  Get you a tour of the home base while we’re at it?”

“That sounds like…a really great day,” he says, smiling, like he’s trying to not smile too much.

“See you then,” Mack nods.

He doesn’t like being stuck, either.


End file.
